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Narada case: Calcutta high court orders house arrest for all 4 politicians
Owing to the difference of opinion between the two judges, the matter will be considered by a larger bench.
The Calcutta high court on Friday ordered house arrest for four political leaders of West Bengal, including two ministers, who were held in the Narada bribery case. The order was passed after a difference of opinion between judges over vacating a stay given by it on bail granted by a special CBI court. One of the judges, Justice Arijit Banerjee, ordered interim bail, but acting chief justice Rajesh Bindal disagreed and called for house arrest.
Owing to the difference of opinion between the two judges, the matter will be considered by a larger bench.
"Leaders to stay in house arrest till the time a larger bench is constituted and the matter is heard there. We are waiting for the order," said advocate Manishankar Chatterjee.
House arrest was also ordered in the view of the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging the country. Until now, they were under judicial remand.
The four heavyweight politicians of Bengal include two sitting ministers of Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, Firhad Hakim and Subrata Mukherjee, Trinamool Congress legislator Madan Mitra and former MLA Sovan Chatterjee.
Hearing in the case is still in progress following prayers from both sides for further arguments on the court's house arrest order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, has pleaded for a stay on the execution of the order.
The four leaders were arrested by the CBI on Monday morning in connection with its probe into the Narada sting tape case. The high court had on Monday night stayed the lower court's decision to grant bail to the four leaders.
The case pertains to a controversy that erupted ahead of the 2016 assembly elections after Narada News portal uploaded a series of videos purportedly showing a number of high-profile TMC leaders receiving money in exchange for favours to a fictitious company.
(With agency inputs)
